Turn Your Setbacks Into Success

What’s the one thing that all successful entrepreneurs have in common? Setbacks. Behind any inspiring business success story there are numerous setbacks that paved the way to success. Of course, setbacks seldom occur singly. Instead, setbacks occur in pairs, or threes, or more. How you choose to deal with your setbacks is entirely up to you. Will you view them as opportunities for growth, or will you interpret them as a sign that it’s time to give up? Here are a few helpful tips for turning your obstacles into stepping stones on your way to success.

• When setbacks occur, pause and calmly evaluate the situation before taking action. When you experience a major setback your first impulse may be to panic or even run away. Instead of freaking out, however, breathe deeply, gather your thoughts, and ask yourself how you can turn this challenge into a positive experience. If you panic, you may actually make the situation worse, but calm reflection will provide you with a better way to deal with the setback.

• Understand that you are not alone. Ask any entrepreneur to tell you his or her success story and you will recognize that setbacks are part and parcel of any successful entrepreneurial venture. Take comfort in knowing that others have also faced challenges on the path to success. Paying attention to how others before you have dealt with their own setbacks may give you some ideas on how to handle your own.

• Don’t ever give up. This advice may seem cliché, but there’s a good reason for that. It actually works. When you give up, you allow yourself to let bitterness and defeat trump perseverance and success. This bitterness and defeat will then seep out into other areas of your life. This is why it’s better to stay the course and focus on solutions rather than setbacks